Armed with a 17-player recruiting class that he hoped would change the culture of his program, Dan Donigan had high hopes for his Rutgers men’s soccer team before the season. The second-year Scarlet Knights coach said the goal was to finish above .500, a lofty mark for a team that finished 4-11 a year ago.

The Scarlet Knights accomplished that and more, compiling a 9-5-3 overall record and 6-1-2 in Big East play during the regular season.

“We wanted to raise the bar, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little surprised by our success so far this season,” Donigan said earlier this week. “Without a doubt, losing can be contagious and so can winning. Sometimes it happens a little quicker than other times. Even though you can say it’s come a little quicker than we expected, it’s been a full year. It’s changing the culture on and off the field; it’s putting a standard on our team from top to bottom — academically, socially and certainly soccer-wise.

“There have been long, hard days, weeks and months. The fall season last year was very difficult for all of us to endure. We just haven’t been used to that kind of season, and it takes a toll on you from a health and mental standpoint. But myself and my assistants have stuck to our beliefs, and certainly it’s paid off for us. And, again, the reward is you feel good for our players. They’ve now been a part of this transition to turn this program around.”

Rutgers will look to continue its success Sunday in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, playing host to Connecticut (15-2-2, 5-2-2) for a 1 p.m. match at Yurcak Field. It marks the first Big East Tournament appearance since 2009 for second-seeded Rutgers, which enters on a seven-game unbeaten streak.

“I think we can play and beat anybody,” Donigan said. “Why play the game if you don’t feel confident, and we have every right to feel that based upon on our most recent results against the likes of St. John’s, South Florida, Louisville. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t think we can go out and play against anybody.”

With a win, the Scarlet Knights would advance to the Big East semifinals for the first time since 2006, and it would mean they get to play against a to-be-determined foe at Red Bulls Arena on Friday.

“We certainly have a big task in front of us with UConn at home on Sunday,” Donigan said. “We’re going to have to put together a heck of a stretch to be able to win this thing. But our guys also believe that they’re capable.”

Kevin McMullen has started the last 15 games in goal for the Scarlet Knights, entering action with a 1.16 goals against average, 53 saves and a .736 save percentage. Juan Pablo Correa, a freshman forward from Montville, leads the team with 15 points on five goals and a team-best five assists, while Kene Eze, a sophomore from Sayreville, has 13 points on five goals and three assists.

“I just think the resilience that this team has showed throughout the season,” said Donigan, when asked what has surprised him the most. “It’s just been their fight and their willingness to compete that stands out the most. They’ve started to buy into what we’re trying to do here.

“We’ve been saying all along we’re trying to teach these guys how to win. It’s hard to teach that until you start to see those results pay off. But certainly this group has started to grasp that. We brought in a couple new pieces, and guys came back a little more fit and a little more committed. And then everything just came together at the right time and the right way. The next thing you know you have a successful season under your belt.”